Murder suspect accused of second killing, dismemberment

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Evansville Police are seeking murder charges against Earl Martin, 38, in the death of Erica Bradfield, whose body was found dismembered in garbage bags behind Martin's home.

Investigators say Martin told a witness that he shot an intruder, killing them, and then cut the body and put it in a trash bag in the backyard of the house at 906 Bellemeade Ave. He said he shot at the intruder twice, hitting them in the head once as well as hitting a door, and then dragged their body into the basement.

Police said Martin told the witness he cut apart the person’s body and put their remains in separate trash cans so it would be taken to a landfill and not found. According to a news release from EPD, the witness also showed police a bullet hole in the door that matched Martin's story and told them Martin showed him a handgun.

Several witnesses told police Bradfield, also known as Erica Fox, was in a romantic relationship with Martin before her death. According to EPD, a friend said Martin abused Bradfield at least twice that the friend knew of — once by injecting Bradfield with drugs and another time allegedly threatening her with a gun.

Bradfield’s remains were found Dec. 22, after Martin’s mother called 911 and said she thought someone put a dead body in the trash can in her backyard on Bellemeade Avenue. Martin also lived at the home.

Police found human remains in several garbage bags between 906 and 910 Bellemeade Avenue and executed a search warrant, eventually sending the body to the Vanderburgh County Coroner’s Office.

Erica Bradfield, right, with her daughter, Eden Fox. Bradfield's slain body was found in several trash bags Friday.(Photo: Facebook)

According to the witness, Martin told him about the alleged break-in and shooting Dec. 16, almost a week before Bradfield's remains were found. It is not clear from the news release when Bradfield died.

Martin has not been charged in Bradfield's murder as of Thursday afternoon, though EPD announced Thursday that officers filed a probable cause affidavit requesting he be charged with murder.

Martin was already in Vanderburgh County Jail when Bradfield’s body was found, having been arrested Dec. 19 in connection to a separate murder. EPD stated in the release that the two cases appear unrelated.

In the earlier case, he is accused of shooting a driver and passenger, pulling driver Brandon Waldroup out of the car and driving away with passenger Christopher Hoefling still in the car. Hoefling was found dead the next day in the stolen car.

Anyone with information on either case can call EPD at 812-436-7979 or the WeTip hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME.